Advances in technology have led to substantial changes to electrical distribution systems as they evolve towards a so-called “smart grid” that supports distributed energy generation from solar, wind, and other distributed energy sources in a resilient and adaptive manner. One such advancement is the deployment of localized electrical systems or “microgrids,” which are capable of disconnecting from a larger utility grid (or backbone grid) and operating autonomously, alternatively referred to as “islanding.” In many instances, these microgrid systems may also include local energy sources, which can be utilized to augment the utility grid.
In practice, a microgrid system can experience what is commonly referred to as unintentional islanding, where the local area of the utility grid has been de-energized by the utility or other third-party. For example, one or more switches upstream of the microgrid system (e.g., at a substation) may be opened for maintenance or safety reasons. Often, applicable safety protocols and standards require that the microgrid system detect an unintentional islanding and cease any energization of the local portion of the utility grid. Existing detection techniques are susceptible to false island detection (e.g., detecting islanding when it does not exist). Additionally, they may fail to detect islanding conditions when they do exist, for example, when any error signal component attributable to the islanding is still within the normal operating range for the utility, making it appear that the grid is still being energized by the utility. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods capable of reliably and consistently detecting unintentional islanding as quickly as possible and with a reduced likelihood of false positives. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.